The following guest sermon was submitted by Rev. David Oyinloye. All ULC Ministers are invited to contribute their own sermons for consideration/publication. To submit a sermon, please email it to sermons@themonastery.org.
Trying Times
Since the presidential election, a lot of relationships have been sacrificed and things have come out into the open that would otherwise be left hidden in a deep dark closet. We've seen an uptick in prejudice, bias, anger, resentment, racism, sexism, fanaticism, zealotry, misinformation, nationalism, anti-immigration, idolatry, bigotry, and religious discrimination.
These nasty ideas have been given oxygen and let out into the light of day, and the consequences have been brutal. They've torn apart life-long friendships and marriages, families and lovers, co-workers and companions. These dark forces that we've given room to breathe are dividing us more now than ever.
We see new divisions occurring almost daily, it seems. Police kill innocent people of color, and others retaliate against this abuse of power just as violently. Stories of rape and sexual assault in the highest circles have been aired publicly, much to the contempt of powerful people who try to silence them. Corruption is being shown blatantly in our government with no attempt at concealment, but nobody can agree which side of the aisle is the guilty party. Then we have the non-stop murder sprees committed by mentally and emotionally disturbed children in schools. Yet even this needless loss of life of so many innocent lives cannot unite us on common ground. We still find ways to attack each other.
On A Collision Course
So much is happening now, and it almost seems as though there isn't ever any time to catch our breath as a country. "We are a nation living in fast and exciting times" as someone once said, but this is not meant as a commentary of jest, it is intended to illustrate just how scary the times we are living in really are. With tensions in the air being so high politically, it almost feels like civil war is looming on the horizon. With such civil unrest near at hand, many ask themselves "what are we going to do?"
To this question, the best answer I have to give is this: be patient. As those of the Christian faith often say, "This too shall pass". But change will not come automatically. It will take hard work. Until we can come together as a people, united in common purpose and righteous intent, the world we are living in will only continue to get darker and scarier and more desperate.
Change Must Come
I don't know about you, but that is not the kind of world I intend to leave for my child. I seek to give my daughter something bright and beautiful and glorious to look forward to so that when she grows up, she will have something to take pride in, because that is what she and all of our children deserve. So as I leave you with these final thoughts, when you have a moment in your day, whenever it is, take pause and reflect on what is happening in our lives and seek to find a way to better it -- not just for yourself, not just for those closest to you, but for everyone. Because we are all in this together, and the only way we can succeed is together, united.
Let us pray for those we have lost, and let us give thanks for those that have come into our lives and brought a light into its many shadows. Let us be blessed in our deeds and our actions, and let us be forgiven for our faults and wrongdoings. Let us grow as a family together in light and love, peace and joy, strength and solidarity. In the name of those we Worship, Blessed Be.
May the Light of Life be upon you all.
31 comments
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REV. DR. ENRIQUE PEREZ BLANCO
Our God! You re so rightly, It is not possible to add another word to your sermon. As a Pastor, neurosociologist and mental health counselor I am in a permanent suffering with our national situation. I think and propose that every brother here should make copies of this sermon to distribute in our congregations. Blessings. Oh, Jesus commiserate with us!
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Carl Elfstrom
Quack, quack, quack! Ole!
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james
@ Dr... Why suffer? Thats may be adding energy to the universal collective direction. Tho we walk thru the valley ... Fear not. Being emotional, mental, spiritual & physically at peace can change outcomes. Think one small life-form can't make a BIG difference? Sleep w/a mosquito.
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James Grainger
Where is God if he/she truly exist? Perhaps he/she is somewhere in the vast universe creating more worlds and no longer concerns him/herself with us. We need to do two things to truly improve conditions in the world we inhabit. We must cease to discriminate against people because of their religion and their race. Fix these two and 90% of the worlds problems will solve themselves.
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Rev. Ryan S.
1 Thessalonians 5:22-24
1 Thessalonians 5:22-24 New International Version (NIV)
22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Romans 3:23
Romans 3:23 New International Version (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Sinners
https://www.gotquestions.org/appearance-of-evil.html
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Carl Elfstrom
You obviously believe in a totally fucked up god !
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james
F'ed up god? Sin against god? Etc etc type thoughts / words? God is LOVE. it is NOT possible to sin against God / Love. Humans F'ed up phaneron is the issue. We only sin against our egotistical selves. As a well known philosopher once said. If one not believe it they never would have seen it. In the mind was / is the beginning. Love will created ones personal world.
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Carl Elfstrom
Do you remember that song by Adam Ant that went " Goody two,goody two, goody goody two shoes !
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James
It is the lack of examples being shown here at home. Why are we to good? Why not act like animals? What happens when we do wrong? Murder, rape, theft, are all bad, yet society pays for criminals to set in jail. That is not just. Punishments are public and should be cost effective. You murder, you get killed. Quick and simple. My point being is that many corrupt people are running the show and accept what they are guilty of doing. Wrong is wrong and should not be accepted. Yet mercy should be shown in certain cases. The parents need to toughen up our children and teach them that words aren't criminal. Actions are..... The old man that used keep the peace is needed again. "father knows best!"
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Carl Elfstrom
So dig him up and attach strings to him, and you can use him as a puppet. You seem to only remember hearing him say things you wanted to hear anyway. You might as well put those things in his mouth for him.
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Alan
And to think "Christians" had actually allowed this to occur because they thought they would get "special" treatment by the new administration. #45 and his administration have been given several "mulligans" by those extra vocal evangelicals when regarding his behavior in the past and present. Does this actually give us a sample of what those "Christians" also think overall? For the sake of our country I certainly hope not.
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John Owens
Whatever spaceship sent you that information was tricking you. You must be using psychotropics or psychedelics.
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Alan
I am using nothing and you my friend must be living under a rock. The evangelicals were actually promoting this misery upon us. Some light research will show you this to be quite true.
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John Owens
Some actual analysis of your conversation would show YOU that you babble incoherently without saying anything useful.
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rabbi jim
Greetings all! I agree, much change is needed. I think we should completely pull out of the middle east involvement, which is only a waist of time, effort, and money, and devote all efforts to resolving all of these problems here at home before a civil war does ensue. Much change needs to come for the good of our society. How do we get the White House to realise this and take the necessary action? Shalom, and have a wonderful day!
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Gary Shade
You said" We’ve seen an uptick in prejudice, bias, anger, resentment, racism, sexism, fanaticism, zealotry, misinformation, nationalism, anti-immigration, idolatry, bigotry, and religious discrimination."
We have not. That statement is a lie. What we have seen is a lot of people calling other people racist, zealots, white supremists, bigots and more. We've seen a national talk show hostess denigrate Vice President Pence's religion. All this hate and anger you speak of is coming from the left. Like a bunch of little two year olds who can't get their way, they have been in a perpetual holding pattern of anger since the election.
You also said: "don’t know about you, but that is not the kind of world I intend to leave for my child. I seek to give my daughter something bright and beautiful and glorious to look forward to so that when she grows up, she will have something to take pride in, because that is what she and all of our children deserve. "
It is a bright and beautiful and glorious place. Unless you dwell on the side of anger. Embrace each day. It is really what you make of it.
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Lynn Gideon
The people have no purpose in their lives anymore. The media and politicians have confused the masses on everything. There needs to be a purpose for the American people so they can unite together as one nation. The Constitution of the United States is being trashed by different parts of the government. If they get rid of our constitutional rights, we will no longer be the land of the free and home of the brave. Parts deep in our government have been destroying our rights for decades. They have been doing it since the end of World War II. Most come from the line of German refugees??, after the war. They helped form the security agencies with many members of the Nazi SS. They have been hard at work to bring down this nation since then. We have a purpose to unite the people, but the media is going to try to stop anything that does that. So purpose is now coming to the people.
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Marcel French
Wow lots of opinions, quoting of scripture with a side of crazy. As hard as it may be for many to understand or except the problem is simple and obvious and so is the answer. We need to end trivial small-minded separatist behavior and evolve quiker. How this can be done you ask? That's the easy part yes there are many things that make us all different culturally geographically and even genetically. But none of these differences matter because regardless of how many we have we all have one thing in common across-the-board we're all human it's not enough to be human we have to evolve to be human beings but everyone starts out human.
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William Waugh
It is likely a mistake to make this short and simple but, this article has lead me to think ( I believe) that I now understand what all the angst the chinese have over the monks in Tibet is about. ......there is no (zero) enlightenment among the voting population/masses of ANY government body anywhere, worldwide. Has a movie been made something like this.....? There is an established interstellar trade community of various alien worlds that have agreed to quarantine Earth until it's inhabitants grow the 40ck. up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!----in case you don't have ears (as Jesus may say) .......to them WE are the 40cking Klingons!
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james
A movie? Its called... They Live (sunglasses) and Idocracy (the movie). This planet is only as healthy as its inhabitance. AKA. Heaven / Hell on earth. This is it.
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John Owens
I think it's hilarious how many of you use the word "phaneron" and how frequently. Like when the U.S. Newscasters learned the word "Tsunami" or the British expression "in the run-up to..." "Oh, that sounds so cerebral! I'll say it every chance I get so I'LL sound cerebral." Just like misogyny, xenophobic, etc.
Namaste,
Maybe all of this has something to do with the Asura (Demon) of friendship, Mitra. I will continue to shun the sinful permanently. I think it is obvious that I do not take the side of evil.
Rev. Ryan S.
I don’t think attributing the evil around us to magical beings is helpful. This is evil brought to us by people who teach and practice hatred of their fellow men.
Magical thinking leads us to believe there is nothing we should do - nothing we can do. There has never been a time where it was so true that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
Call out hatred and prejudice. Work for change. It’s no longer enough to say “it’s not me.”
Hsw is truly a totally mundane soul, and there's little if any hope for him. We'd better leave this one alone. He can't grasp the underlying reality.
It sounds like you spend too much time thinking about all that stuff. Didn't you know that causes stress, and stress can shorten your life ?
@ Carl... Thinking about STUFF? Causes stress? Some ppl, like me can calculate to the empth ^. Whats on the other side of space, what was here B4 "creation". What was B4 "GOD". What if NK drops the big one. What if, what if & what if. To me, its all calculations. The good, the bad, the right or wrong. Thought NOT make it facts or fiction. There are some who can "think" and have it leads to no energy of stress. Fear not, as we walk thru the valley... Pray, think & believe w/ discretion & wisdom... Now, onto the article at hand... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPfnKYk7m4g
Some evil is a lot of fun. You ought to achieve and maintain a healthy balance in that.
@ Carl... Life, belief, thoughts, prayer, existence is all phaneronic based. Define "Evil" my subjective thinker... Maybe what one considers EVIL is NOT evil in the eyes of god / nature (universal law).
I want to leave a comment regarding David O. Oyinloye. He's not who you think he is! He's not practicing what he preaches, doesn't work or keep up with paying child support. He's putting sermons on here, videos on facebook sitting in my daughter's livingroom. He has not paid rent, food, etc., for a year!! A few nights ago, he put his hands on my 37-yr old Daughter and my Grandson called the police. He should've been arrested! He's not on Lease! My Grandchildren had to go stayt at their Dad's house on a school night!! I think you all should know about this man because he has a past of doing this before with the Mother of his Daughter!!9
I can tell by his article that he must be very negative, considering the way he focuses on all the negativity in this world. There is far more good than bad. All of the bad things he spoke of were isolated events. It's not like one of them leads to another one. Sure some different kinds of crimes are happening in different places than before. But in the past other kinds of crimes took place in other places. The world and people aren't getting any worse. We just have a lot more and different people now than before. Why not try focusing on the positive for a change? Givene it a try and let us know how it affects you.
@ Jody... Sounds like someone needed to do some (emotional, Mental, Spiritual & physical) laundry / house cleaning for matters to get as far as claimed. Blessings Abound / Peace Profound